July 9, 1977: Teenager Cathleen Crowell of Homewood, Illinois, has sex with her boyfriend, then fearing she might become pregnant, rips her clothing, cuts herself and bruises her vaginal area, before claiming she was kidnapped by three men in a car, one of whom raped her.
Gary Dotson is arrested, and charged on the strength of her testimony and flawed forensic evidence. In 1979, he is convicted and receives a heavy sentence. In 1981, Webb marries, becomes a Baptist, then RECANTS HER TESTIMONY in 1985, which is not accepted. Eventually, Dotson is exonerated by DNA evidence, the first person in the US to be so cleared.
Cathleen Crowell Webb does not face prosecution, but on his release meets with Dotson, who forgives her. She died from cancer in 2008 aged 46. Dotson suffered serious problems readjusting to life after his release, marrying but divorcing soon following allegations of domestic violence by his wife.
Unbelievably, some rad-fems still insist a rape was committed, like this muppet, who in her 1995 book Rape On Trial says Webb identified the wrong man, and that the DNA evidence bears this out. No she didn’t and no it doesn’t. Unreal.
This article from the website of the Innocence Project includes a photograph of Gary Dotson.
This is the Cathleen Crowell story in her own words.
The photograph below is Cathleen Crowell Webb in later life.
In 1985, Catherine Webb told Rob Warden she had based her phantom rape by Dotson on a cameo from the novel Sweet Savage Love; the offending passage is linked here. (This is the best copy scan that was possible). The phrase “pinned down by his weight” at the top of page 360 is said to be especially significant.
Frankly, I can’t see the parallel; the book version is a particularly vicious gang-rape; Webb claimed to have been raped by one man. For the record, this book – which was written by a woman – is what is known as a “boddice ripper”. For some reason women seem to like this sort of thing. I don’t mean the regular but harmless RAPE FANTASY, but the sadism and degradation.
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